Historical Background:After Rommel arrived in North Africa he quickly earned the reputation of being the Desert Fox. In a Blitzkrieg campaign he pushed the British back across the Cyrenaica and in only 12 days had reached the former Italian fortress of Tobruk now manned by the 9th Divvy or the 9th Australian Division commanded by another brilliant commander GenMaj "Ming the Merciless" Morshead. The determined resistance of the Rats of Tobruk became the story of legend and they threw back all the initial attacks of the Deutsches Afrika Korps, the DAK, and Tobruk went under siege. Rommel was placed in a dilemma, he could not continue his advance with the stronghold to his rear, Tobruk had to be taken by a coordinated attack. The plan was to go against the perimeter around Ras El Madauur.

Morshead had noted the increasing Axis activity around Ras El Maduur and strengthened his forces and had a secondary minefield laid out. Rommel started his attack on the night of the 30 April. Fierce resistance from the strongpoints delayed the Axis advance throughout the night. By morning strong artillery and an armored counter-attack stopped the advance leaving only a salient in the Tobruk lines and a butchers bill Rommel could ill afford.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.

Briefing:Briefing:Axis Player [Germany]

Take 5 Command Cards

You move first

Allied Player [Australia]

Take 5 Command Cards

The Field Bunkers are Temporary Objective Medals for the Axis Forces.

Special Rules:

North African Desert Rules are in effect. In addition, Allied Armour may only move 2 hexes and battle, not the normal 3 hexes.

British Commonwealth Forces rules are in effect.

Conditions of Victory:7 medals

Special Rules:This battle uses the night fighting rules included in the Pacific pack (see the Japanese counterattack online)

British (Australian) units in the bunkers are only strong point defenders and have only 3 infantry units each

Any Axis unit that exits the board between the exit points is worth 1 medal

North African Desert Rules are in effect. In addition, Allied Armour may only move 2 hexes and battle, not the normal 3 hexes.

British Commonwealth Forces rules are in effect.

The Minefields are British/Australian

Special Marked Axis units are either Italian or Pioneers for the Germans.